Ultrastructural changes in the body wall of Schistosoma mansoni during the transformation of the miracidium into the mother sporocyst in the snail host Biomphalaria pfeifferi

Abstract

The ultrastructure of the body wall of the free miracidium of Schistosoma mansoni and the changes occurring within 48 h after penetration into the intermediate host Biomphalaria pfeifferi are described. Within 2 h after penetration the ciliated plates are shed into the haemolymph of the snail and phagocytized by amoebocytes. At the same time the narrow ridges between the plates of the free miracidium expand to form the continuous outer layer of the sporocyst. Within 48 h the entire tegumental structure, consisting of a thin outer layer, connected with sunken nucleated areas, develops to its full extent. The observations are compared with those on Fasciola hepatica.